Petunia plant named &#39;jam bule&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new petunia plant particularly distinguished by medium to large, deep-blue flowers, medium-green foliage with elliptical leaves, a medium, round, bushy, moderately tight plant habit with moderately vigorous growth, an initially low, spreading and creeping to trailing plant habit with an early and continuous flowering response, is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Petunia sp.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Jam Bule’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of petunia,botanically known as a Petunia sp., and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Jam Bule’. The new cultivar originated from ahybridization made in February 2002 in Gilroy, Calif. The female parentwas ‘Kakegawa S28’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,887, also known as‘Supertunia Royal Velvet’), a purple-flowered commercial petunia plant(unpatented), while the male parent was ‘PY152’, a blue-floweredproprietary petunia plant (unpatented).

The new cultivar was created in 2002 in Gilroy, Calif. and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissueculture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a two-yearperiod. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk,The Netherlands. The present invention has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onMar. 29, 2005, in Switzerland on Sep. 16, 2005 and with the EuropeanUnion on Sep. 28, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Gilroy, Calif. and Hillscheid, Germany.

-   -   1. Medium to large deep-blue flowers;    -   2. Medium-green foliage with elliptical leaves;    -   3. A medium sized, rounded, bushy and moderately tight plant        habit;    -   4. Moderately vigorous growth;    -   5. An initially low, spreading and creeping to trailing plant        habit; and    -   6. An early and continuous flowering response.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new petunia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows the overall plant habit including blooms, buds, and foliageof the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtainedby conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of a3-month-old plant grown in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Jam Bule’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inHillscheid, Germany. The plant history was taken on 5 to 6-week oldplants which were planted as rooted cuttings in 12-cm pots in early July2005 and grown in a greenhouse. The plants were pinched once.Observations were made when the plants were in full flower in August2005. Color readings were taken under natural light in the greenhouse.Color references are primarily to the RHS Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London (RHS) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Botanical.—Petunia sp.        -   Common name.—Petunia.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘Kakegawa S28’ a commercial purple-flowered            petunia plant (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,887).        -   Male parent.—‘PY152’, a proprietary petunia plant having            blue flowers (unpatented).-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Herbaceous annual.        -   Habit.—Spreading initially low or decumbent to trailing            plant habit with fair branching.        -   Height (measured from the top of the soil).—9.8 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—27.7 cm.        -   Propagation.—Terminal tips for cutting.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 10 weeks            for a 12-cm pot in the Spring.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use in hanging baskets and            containers.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—About 25 days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, self-branching.-   Stems:    -   -   Average number (basal).—4.5.        -   Length of basal branches (from the base of the stem to the            tip).—21.8 cm.        -   Internode length.—4.3 cm.        -   Diameter of branches (from midpoint).—0.4 cm.        -   Stem color.—RHS 143A to RHS 143B (green).        -   Anthocyanin.—Absent.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Initially alternate and later appears mostly            opposite in pairs; partly appearing decussate.        -   Size.—Length: 6.7 cm Width: 4.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute to obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 137B (green) Lower surface:            Between RHS 137D to RHS 143A.        -   Texture.—Upper surface: Velvety with short pubescence Lower            surface: Dense hair along the leaf veins and margins.        -   Venation.—Mainly pinnate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 144C.        -   Petioles.—General: Not always clearly distinct from the base            of the leaf Length: Up to 0.3 cm Width: 0.3 cm Color: Upper            surface: RHS 144C Lower surface: RHS 144D Texture: Densely            pubescent, especially along the midrib.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Tube-shaped with furrows.        -   Size.—Length: 3.8 cm Diameter: 1.2 cm.        -   Color at tight bud.—RHS N92D (dull deep-violet) to RHS N92B            at the tip.        -   Immature flower color.—RHS N92B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous from Spring to Fall.        -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers appear solitary on pedicels,            emerging singularly at the nodes.        -   Number of flowers per node.—1.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—6 to 7 days.        -   Fragrance.—Weak, petunia-like.        -   Pedicels.—Color: RHS 143B (light-green) Length: 5.9 cm            Diameter: About 0.2 cm Texture: Densely pubescent.-   Flowers:    -   -   Shape.—Lower part is funnel-shaped, formed by 5 fused            petals; corolla margin is salver-shaped, formed by the petal            lobes opening outward.        -   Size.—Diameter (flower face): 7.3 cm Depth (total length of            flower): 4.6 cm Funnel: Length: 3.3 cm Diameter (at            opening): About 1.5 cm Outside texture: Weakly furrowed with            glandular hair along the veins.        -   Mature flower.—Face/Margin Color: Upper surface: RHS N89A            and later to RHS N88A, with RHS 186B weak, radial            (mid-petal) veins Lower surface: RHS N88B.        -   Corolla.—Shape of corolla: Tube-shaped Color inside            (throat): RHS N89A (deep-violet) Color outside: RHS N92D            (dull-violet).        -   Petals.—Apex: Cuspidate Base: Fused Margin: Entire Waviness:            Weak to medium Lobation: Moderate Texture: Smooth and            glabrous Calyx: Composed of 5 sepals fused at the base            Sepals: Number: 5 Color: RHS 143A (for both upper and lower            surfaces) Length: 1.5 cm to 1.6 cm Width: 0.3 cm Shape:            Lanceolate Apex: Acute Base: Fused Margin: Entire Texture:            Pubescent with rough hair.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: 5 Filament color: RHS N155A (white)            Filament length: 1.7 cm to 2.0 cm Filament diameter: 0.1 cm            Pollen color: RHS 98D (bluish) Pollen amount: Moderate        -   Pistil.—Number: 1 Length: 2.1 cm Stigma color: RHS 145A            Style color: RHS 145D Style length: 1.7 cm.-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed so far.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Jam Bule’ differs from the female parent ‘Kakegawa S28’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 13,887) by having blue flowers while ‘Kakegawa S28’ has purpleflowers. In addition, ‘Jam Bule’ has a lower plant habit and more basalbranching than ‘Kakegawa S28’.

‘Jam Bule’ differs from the male parent ‘PY152’ (unpatented) by havingdeeper green foliage, richer flowering and more vigorous growth than‘PY152’.

‘Jam Bule’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Whip Bule’ (U.S PlantPatent Applied for) by having larger flowers, longer leaves, shorterbranches and a more compact plant habit than ‘Whip Bule’.

‘Jam Bule’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Surfinia Blue’(unpatented) by having a deeper bluish and less violet flower color than‘Surfinia Blue’. In addition, ‘Jam Bule’ has smaller flowers and leaves,develops more flowers, and has an earlier flowering response than‘Surfinia Blue’.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of petunia plant as shown and describedherein.